The Gold Family
by Rose Unspindle
Summary: Rumpelstiltskin told Regina that she would have an emptiness in her heart, and would come to him to try to fill it. He never said she could fill it, and magic will have it's price. Also, did I mention the 'I love babies and making Rumpel have lots of them part'
1. Chapter 1

When Rumpelstiltskin told the Queen that she would have an emptiness inside her and that someday she would come to him to fill it, he didn't tell her that she wouldn't be able to fill it and that all magic comes with a price.

**Henry:**

Mr. Gold is doing his best to ignore Regina's snappishness; honestly, he was doing the woman what nearly counted as a favor. Getting her to be adopted son transferred to Storybrooke's hospital, and having all the paperwork already signed by the judge, simply needing her to give the pertinent information, such as a name, and it would all be done, then he and Dr. Whale would need to sign as witnesses.

So here they are, at the hospital, Regina has finally told him 'Henry' as the boys name, and he is writing it done, then he hears Regina gasp. Mr. Gold turns around quickly, wondering what's wrong, when he sees Regina holding her hands out defensively towards the crib.

"No, no, no, I can't, oh gods, I can't." Regina is nearly hysterical now, and Dr. Whale rushes over to her to try to calm her.

When Dr. Whale returns, minus Regina, they have a moment of 'what do we do now?' both of them gazing in confusion at the tiny bundle in the crib.

Before anything can be said, the baby begins to cry and he finds himself lifting the little boy up, cradling him in his arms as though he's done it before.

"It's okay Henry, he says, lightly rocking his arms, its okay, Papa's here."

Thus Mr. Gold became a father.

**Annella:**

Around two years later, Regina tries again. The looks that cross between longing and hatred, depending on whether she's looking at Henry or and him, have finally settled into determination. So here they are, Dr. Whale, Mr. Gold, Regina, young Henry, and yet another small Bundle of baby tucled into the same crib as before.

Mr. Gold hesitates to write down the name 'Victoria' as Regina says it, wanting to make certain this time that she's actually going to keep the child.

Once again she can't even touch the child, almost as if there is a force field around the baby and Regina breaks down, leaving on Dr. Whales arm.

Gold sighs and looks at Henry, who has been sitting patiently in the stroller watching everything with his curious little eyes.

"Well Henry, what do you say to a little sister?"

Henry smiles and raises his stuffed crocodile. "Sisa, Papa, sisa!"

"Right you are son. A sister is a grand idea."

He still doesn't write anything down though, not until Whale comes back again, shaking his head, and giving Gold a wry look.

Gold smiles, and carefully write Annella Gold, onto the correct line. There, a good Scottish name, Annella.

He goes over to the crib and lifts the small bundle, memories of when he had done the same for Henry echoing in his mind. Though Henry had been crying and little Annella simply stares at him, her eyes nearly focusing on his face. He smiles.

**Maisie:**

It is another two years and Regina is becoming terribly predictable. Here they are again, the same players on the stage, though now Henry stands at his side, a solemn but happy four year old, and Annella occupies the stroller, while another baby coos and wiggles in the crib.

Dr. Whale looks resigned and Regina looks blackly determined.

It goes much the same way as the last two times, but for Regina nearly over turning the crib if he hadn't been standing beside it.

He wrenches his leg badly but the baby is safe and Dr. Whale escorts Regina out of the room quite forcefully.

Scooping up the baby, whose sounds have gone from cooing to frightened wails, he presses her against him, even as he has to sit down, Henry quickly gets the stroller over to him, and tucks himself against Gold's side.

In an hour or so, when he has caught his breath, and his knee is no longer killing him, he will get up, make sure that Annella is okay, she usually is, have Henry fetch Dr. Whale, and take the birth certificate, and write the name 'Maisie Gold' on the appropriate line.

For now though, he will sit and comfort a freighted baby, and let the comfort of his son's presence soothe him.

**Mary:**

Only a year later and they are in the same room, Regina however, is absent. After her display last year, he very firmly told her he would not seek out anymore children for her. No, today he is here fro himself and his family.

The woman who had given birth to Annella has had another baby that she wanted adopted, and the agency contacted him, hoping to place the little girl with her other sibling. Gold already has three children, but his house is large, and it will be another little girl who, if she is anything like his little Annella, who becomes more and more a fierce but loving little household dictator, than he cannot turn her away.

So here his is, Henry, Annella, and little Maisie all in tow.

He doesn't even hesitate when he enters the room to pick the baby up out of the crib. There is no need for anyone to reject her. She promptly gets a good grip on his nose and won't let go until he slides the little stuffed puppy he'd brought with him under her arm, she happily begins gumming to death.

Mary already has the same red/brown hair as her sister, but where Annella's eyes are brown, Mary's are blue.

He bets anything she'll have freckles though.

**Isabelle:**

Regina is nothing if not predictable. He only agrees to go along with her next attempt at adoption if certain precautions and promises are made. He's a hard man, and can be quite cruel, but he will not tolerate someone hurting a child. She's also doubled the fee and paid it ahead of time, along with signing an agreement that even if she won't accept the child, the money is his. With four, possibly going to be five college funds, every penny helps.

This time Dr. Whale attempt to hand her the baby, and as before, her arms drop and she looks like she's been stabbed. She runs from the room again, her screams of frustration and fury echoing through that hall, waking little Mary, who is in a frontpack on his chest, and frightening Maisie and Annella. Six year old Henry merely leans against Gold's good leg, reaching for Annella's hand, which prompts her to grab Maisie's.

They stand there for a few minutes like that, the Gold family united. The Dr. Whale turns to Mr. Gold, looking more irritated than anything else.

"This needs to be the last time Gold, she's killing herself doing this and she refuses to see Archie about why she won't let herself accept any of the kids."

Mr. Gold nods in agreement. "I've already gotten her to agree to try for no more adoptions if this one didn't work out. I only need so many children and she's gotten to the point passed ridiculous. "

Later that evening, Mr. Gold eyes the bassinette beside his bed. This morning it had held only little Mary, but now, curled together as though born that way, Mary curls into her new sister.

Mr. Gold doesn't know why he picked Isabelle for a name; it isn't one of his usual traditional Scottish names but he likes it.

**Intermission: Ashley:**

He has recently changed his deal with Ashley Boyd. She'd looked so downtrodden, after her idiot boyfriend left her and sitting there, in the dinner, the free tea Ruby had given her cupped in her hands. He'd sat down at her booth and asked her one very important question.

"Do you want to keep your child?"

"Yes." She had answered. And so, along with his own children, Ashley lives with him helping maintain the house and keep track of the children. Especially with a four year old and two rather rambunctious three year olds, this is not a simple task.

He isn't entirely certain how it happens, especially in what seems to be both a long and short amount of time, but one day, as Ashley is sitting at the table helping Mary eat, while he's trying to get Isabelle from lobbing her mash potatoes at Henry who keeps making faces at her, their eyes meet.

There is no spark or fireworks. Yet, there is a feeling of contentment.

Thus, three weeks later they find themselves down at the courthouse, Ashley in a simple white dress, all the children in their best clothes and he in his nicest suit, and Archie and Ruby and Granny (who doesn't hate him as much as she used to since he lets her dote on his children all she wants) and the Sheriff as witnesses. The simple, chaste kiss he gives Ashley may very well be the only one they ever exchange. He doesn't know. But at least now his children have a mother, and her child will have a father.

As they leave, Regina is standing outside, looking smug, with Ashley's erstwhile ex-boyfriend standing beside her looking crushed. Ashley barely looks at him, though her chin trembles and Gold puts his arm around her back, providing as much support as he can.

They go home and have a lovely dinner, all the children, even reserved little Henry calling her 'Mommy' at the beginning and ending of each sentence.

Nothing happens between them that night, other than Ashley moving into his room. He's old, she's nine-months pregnant, and they aren't in love. He fairly certain they aren't even in lust. It feels good, to have someone occupy the other side of his bed though, even if she does start using him as a body pillow.

**Adair :**

Things are going well, but Henry, after learning the Ashley is going to have a girl, has gotten it into his head that what they desperately need is another boy in the house.

When, for his ninth birthday all he wants a little brother, Gold turn's talks to Ashley and they agree that one more baby won't hurt anything, they're already insane, why not complete the descent into utter madness by getting a sixth, seventh if you counted Ashley's unborn child, to the mix.

Once again they find themselves in the nursery of the hospital.

Little Adair sleeps on in the crib, even with all the children crowding about him, staring in curiosity at the newest addition to their family.

It is odd he thinks, as this time as both he _and_ Ashley sign the birth certificate. Adair stirs sleepily in the crib and he picks him up. His boy, he looks at Ashley and hands her the baby, _their_ boy.

Ashley's chins wobbles again as she looks down into the child's sleeping face.

"You know;" she says looking up, "I saw a movie, 'Where the Heart is', and in it the main girl has a line that goes "How can you love someone so much, that you only just met?", I thought the line was kind of cliché you know? But now, oh, I get it, it's a perfect line."

Gold smiles, contentment filling his chest. "Shall we take our children home then, Mrs. Gold?"

Ashley smiles back at him and nods. "Yes Mr. Gold. Let's all go home."

**Dinadan and James:**

He and Ashley had agreed that they had plenty of children now, and that when Ashley's baby was born, that would be the end of their family growth. At least until the grandchildren arrived. They'd shared a rather soppy look over that thought.

However, fate had other plans and the same woman who had given birth to both Annella and Mary was pregnant again, this time with twin boys.

He couldn't help himself and Ashley just looked more amused than anything else, hitching little Adair up her hip, and saying two more wouldn't hurt anything and what was the pint of having such a huge house if they didn't fill it? Ashley and Gold as well, both found children filled the house much better than the useless junk he's had it stuffed with before. Though Annella had commandeered the piano, and Henry had already made off with the cello. Gold was very careful to never get a set of drums.

So for what they both swore again was the last time, they made their way to the hospital signed the papers and brought their new twins, Malcolm and James, home with them.

Three months later, Henry and his book would disappear, only to come back that same day with his birth mother in tow. While Ashley and Annella were scolding the boy, Rumpelstiltskin found himself trying to come to terms with the fact that he was a father of nine, and married, however chastely, to Cinderella.


	2. Henry: Year One

Year One: With Henry

Mr. Gold had not been planning on bring home a child. So, naturally, he had nothing in the way of baby items, save some diapers and formula Whale had given him.

So he was reduced to calling Dove, firstly, to come pick him up and secondly to go a purchase a list of the things Gold was relatively certain he'd need for a child.

He was fairly certain that he had a cradle or two stashed about and so , as Dove drove off looking rather perplexed but willing to do anything for his boss, Gold set about locating them.

Fortunately he did have three, one in one of the many spare bedrooms and the other two in the attic. He found himself grateful that he walked about Storybrooke so much as opposed to driving as that meant his leg was more forgiving the clambering about, baby swaddled on the safest surface he could fine.

After two hours of hunting and cleaning, Gold had both cradles polished to a shine and ready for an inhabitant. One he placed in his bedroom upstairs and the other was settled into the living room, he decided that one more for the shop would be perfect and resolved to have Dove set the third cradle up in the shop after he returned with the bulk of the shopping.

Having gathered what he could for the moment, he settled in his armchair in the living room to wait, little Henry tucked against his chest, sleeping peacefully.

The cessation of movement allowed his mind to fully grasp what it was he'd done. He'd begun the adoption process for a child. He had a son. A swell of emotion filled him, as he looked down into the sleeping babies face. Joy and terror in equal parts and found himself hoping he was equal to the task of raising this boy.

Twenty minutes later and Dove arrived with the necessary baby paraphernalia, bottles, wipes, diapers, car seat, stroller, a few soft toys, and a host of other things. More toys and clothes Gold would buy later, as he felt that the more personal items were better picked by the parent, but the basics at least were simple enough.

Henry woke not long after and Gold faced his first diaper change. Well, he was a tough old bastard and he'd faced worse things. The diaper change went fairly well, though he did have to wash his hands rather harshly afterwards.

Then came the feeding and the burping and he blessed the burping clothes as he realized he would need to keep a spare change of clothes at the shop since the boy seemed determined to coat him one unpleasant substance or another.

That night he found himself grateful that three months olds apparently slept better than newborns and got fairly uninterrupted sleep. The morning felt a tad harried with getting both a baby and himself ready for the day but soon all was accomplished, Henry tucked into the stroller that Dove had thankfully put together for him and they were out the back door, which had no steps, and off to the shop only a bit later than usual.

He had more gawkers and curious peruser's that day than he'd had in a month, all looking at the cradle behind the counter in looks ranging from curious, to amused, to horrified.

It was quite amusing. Deciding to really give the town a stir, he went into Granny's for lunch, baby and the least offensive diaper bag Dove could find in tow.

Granny surprised him and it was almost pleasant, as she kept people from crowding too much while having the scantily clad Ruby serve everyone else while she brought his food herself. After he soothed Henry out of a fit of whimpers when the noise level got a bit much, she even laid a hand briefly on his shoulder.

He thought as he left, that he might have an ally in town, at least so far as the probable baby questions he'd come up with.

Dove had bought him a baby book for 'Baby's First Year" but sometimes a real person was better than a book.

After that his world came to revolve around this tiny miracle he'd been given. The townsfolk mostly forgot about Henry, as his presence had not really softened Gold at all on the subject of rent and debts owed.

For Gold his whole world had changed. His house, formerly stuffed full of antiques was now astonishingly clear of a good deal of it, most of it moved out the cabin, but a great deal either gotten rid of or properly stored away to make room for baby toys and in anticipation of very curious little fingers as the boy grew.

He learned to laugh that year, when Henry soaked him every time he gave the boy a bath, when he got formula and later baby food liberally spread in his hair. He mastered diaper changing only getting peed on a couple of times and through it all, her learned to laugh at it.

The first time little Henry crawled Gold grinned so hard he thought his face might spilt.

The first came rapidly after crawling; Henry quickly got into the whole movement thing and stood for the first time, though walking remained beyond him for now.

His first word was 'Papa' and Gold was glad he lived alone as he's fairly certain he cried.

There were trips to the park where Henry cooed at everything, nearly giving his tiny neck whiplash he was so eager to take in everything. At night he'd settle into the rocking chair he'd placed in his room and sing old lullaby's he knew to his precious little boy, marveling at the wonder of this little person in his life.

Henry had a personality that was already quite evident. He liked to see things, examine them and then seemed even now to think on whatever it was, burbling in quiet conversation with himself. He had people he liked, Archie, Granny, Ruby, and Marco, and people he didn't like, such as Regina, he shrieked every time she came near him, he wasn't terribly fond of the Mother Superior or Dr, Whale either. He liked one of the nun's though, a young woman named Astrid and she became Gold's go to person for babysitting.

Soon the year was coming to an end and Gold got the court date that would declare him Henry's father once and for all. That morning he dressed little Henry up in a nice little suit, forgoing any kind of tie, knowing the boy would have it off in moments anyway. He carefully placed the baby in the car seat and headed to the courthouse. He'd simply meet the judge in the judge's office, and this would be quick and simple, but he still worried. He spotted Regina standing near town hall, but she quickly moved off and Gold was able to get inside without incident.

Just a few words, a few more signatures and Henry was his.


End file.
